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Gary Bettman defends fighting

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Dagoon44

Dagoon44

Registered User
Sep 15, 2003
5,563
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NJ
It's the media not the players.

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/dcyvF?utm_source=n ews...

Bettman says debate over fighting is an ‘overblown issue’
Joe Yerdon Mar 2, 2014, 11:27 AM EST
50 Comments
Gary Bettman
AP
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wants fans to know that fighting isn’t going away any time soon.

Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review spoke with the commissioner at the NHL Stadium Series game in Chicago and asked for his take on fighting in the league. Bettman stood up for fighting saying it’s not a major part of the game.

“It’s an overblown issue because it’s a small part of the game, and to the extent there are concussions it’s a small part of that,” Bettman said. “Fighting is something we’ll continue to focus on, but there hasn’t been a consensus from the hockey people — on the side of management — or the players to make a change. I’ve been told if the NHLPA did a poll that 98 percent of the players would say don’t change the rule.”

Fans who don’t like fighting will obviously not be happy with this take from the commissioner, but this is essentially what he’s said all along about having fighting in the NHL.

Some believe fighting keeps the league from becoming more of a mainstream sport while others say it’s such an established part of the game it can’t be removed.

Discussions about changing the punishment for fighting were brought up by Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, but those talks are new. If change is going to come, it’ll take more people who think like Yzerman and hold positions of power to make it happen.

My job description? If there's a problem on the ice, I just go out and fix it. - Dave Brown
Click to read more...
 
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This has been Bettman's stance for a long time. It's the thermostat argument and there is certainly some merit to it. Guys in NCAA and non-fighting junior leagues will tell you there is a lot of nasty stickwork and elbowing going on.

During his remarks at the Prime Time Sports Management conference in Toronto, Bettman called fighting a “thermostat” in hockey that helps cool things down when tensions run high.

“When Vinny Lecavalier was in a fight with (Jarome) Iginla ... they got mad at each other,” he said during his question-and-answer session. “I’d rather them be punching each other than swinging sticks at each other.”
Click to expand...
 
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Dagoon44 said:
Again, I hope some of you pay attention to this and finally shut up about anti fighting.. It's the media not the players. Humm 98% wow guess hf board gm's were wrong again

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/dcyvF?utm_source=n ews...

Bettman says debate over fighting is an ‘overblown issue’
Joe Yerdon Mar 2, 2014, 11:27 AM EST
50 Comments
Gary Bettman
AP
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wants fans to know that fighting isn’t going away any time soon.

Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review spoke with the commissioner at the NHL Stadium Series game in Chicago and asked for his take on fighting in the league. Bettman stood up for fighting saying it’s not a major part of the game.

“It’s an overblown issue because it’s a small part of the game, and to the extent there are concussions it’s a small part of that,” Bettman said. “Fighting is something we’ll continue to focus on, but there hasn’t been a consensus from the hockey people — on the side of management — or the players to make a change. I’ve been told if the NHLPA did a poll that 98 percent of the players would say don’t change the rule.”

Fans who don’t like fighting will obviously not be happy with this take from the commissioner, but this is essentially what he’s said all along about having fighting in the NHL.

Some believe fighting keeps the league from becoming more of a mainstream sport while others say it’s such an established part of the game it can’t be removed.

Discussions about changing the punishment for fighting were brought up by Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, but those talks are new. If change is going to come, it’ll take more people who think like Yzerman and hold positions of power to make it happen.

My job description? If there's a problem on the ice, I just go out and fix it. - Dave Brown
Click to expand...

Bettman is minimizing it because is such an "small" and unimportant part of the game.

Also, haven't seen one person who wants to completely ban fighting. I could do without the stupid, contrived side shows between 2 guys that don't belong on an NHL rink.
 
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Well, first of all, I believe the debate we were having was not over whether fighting has a place in the game, but rather if fighting has any impact on the game.

Second, I'd like to hear more about how that player poll was carried out.

Can a mod clean up the spelling in the title?
 
Crease your a great poster and always opened mined.. The crew on here is so one sided it hurts never open to a opinion other then their own.. I am a heel by trade
 
Trxjw said:
Once again you confuse "anti-fighting" with being against players who contribute nothing to the game other than fighting.
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No I am not confusing anything .. I. Would say 75% of this bored is anti fighting..
 
Bettman is trying to grow the sport. Fighting attracts some fans. But that has nothing to do with the impact it may have on what happens on the ice.
 
All, please keep the conversation as close as you can to the topic of NHL leadership's take on fighting. If it gets too crazy, we'll have no choice but to close.
 
-31- said:
Well, first of all, I believe the debate we were having was not over whether fighting has a place in the game, but rather if fighting has any impact on the game.

Second, I'd like to hear more about how that player poll was carried out.

Can a mod clean up the spelling in the title?
Click to expand...

You have to imagine that as long as the instigator rule is in place to protect players from unwanted bouts, they will of course be okay with fighting in the game. So the results aren't surprising.
 
I loved Jarome Iginla fighting Vincent Lecavalier.

But the majority of fights in the NHL have pretty much zero reason for starting. I loved hearing Eakins rant on staged fights.
 
Megustaelhockey said:
All, please keep the conversation as close as you can to the topic of NHL leadership's take on fighting. If it gets too crazy, we'll have no choice but to close.
Click to expand...
Probably should lock it up in advance of the nonsense. There are more pro-toughness posters on here than Dagoon thinks. There are enough decently talented players that fighting will not go away. That said, I absolutely don't need to see Frazer McLaren on the Rangers right now. The crippling contract Callahan is about to get is far more a concern than an unnecessary brawler.
 
I would say 75% of this board is against added ****ty players to this team for an imagined reason. I wish that number was higher.
 
Let me ask I am ok with no Mclearn but come on guys we need something better then car bomb
 
Continue.

Let's keep it civil in here ladies and gents. This is a discussion thread and not a battle ground. Literally 0 tolerance for flaming.
 
Personally, remove the instigator penalty and make fighting majors 10 or maybe even 15 or 20 minutes rather than 5. 5 minutes is a joke and no one takes it seriously. If you're going to fight then it better be for a very good reason.

Obviously penalties would have to be allotted differently based on the fight. You don't want players going after star players in order to get them out of the game for long stretches. If a player refuses to fight he shouldn't be penalized.

Actually, the instigator penalty should only be in place if there's an instigated fight that's unprovoked. Maybe a penalty on the player is a good way to determine that.
 
Leave fighting to martial artists and boxers. This is a serious sport for serious professionals -- not clowns who can't control their tempers.
 
Fighting has a place

I could do without the players who can not take a semi regular shift. I don't think they add much to the game.
 
Dagoon44 said:
The crew on here is so one sided it hurts never open to a opinion other then their own.. I am a heel by trade
Click to expand...

You aren't even able to comprehend the difference between "anti-fighting" and "anti-useless goon on skates." So I am not sure how you are in any position to talk about how "one-sided" everyone here is or close-minded for that matter.

You know what is close-minded though, thinking staged WWE fights actually have an impact on the game outside of entertainment value.

There is a difference between real fights, between real players, who can really play hockey, and two neanderthals on skates who have the hockey IQ of an amoeba.
 
Dagoon44 said:
Let me ask I am ok with no Mclearn but come on guys we need something better then car bomb
Click to expand...

No, they don't. He's actually played fairly well since he was traded for and there is no room on the roster for another player like him, or worse yet, less skilled than he is.

Get over it.
 
Jody Shelley was on sirius xm this morning talking about this topic. It was interesting to hear his thoughts on the matter.
 
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